


A Trip to Fall (2008)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Developing Friendships, First Kiss, First Time, Flirting, M/M, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-22
Updated: 2008-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:12:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2126418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With graduation looming, Seto has one last chance...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Kaiba Seto had a dilemma. For nearly three years, he had been caught up in a teenage crush, much to his annoyance. It was a secret he kept well-guarded – even from his younger brother. He had never bothered to hide his more sinister actions from the world, but this he kept painfully close to his chest because it proved that the young brunet possessed vulnerabilities and insecurities like everyone else; that, contrary to his frigid, stoic demeanour, he was capable of experiencing the softer emotions. In short, it proved that he was human.

He hadn't planned on this happening to him. In fact, the unfamiliar feelings had scared him a bit, and in turn, he had reacted the way he knew best. He had closed himself off and had immediately insulted the attractive blond. Of course, everyone had automatically thought him to be an insufferable asshole – a cold-hearted prick who liked nothing more than to torment those he thought beneath him. But to anyone who _really_ knew Seto, it was obvious that his standoffishness was mostly an act. After all, there were countless individuals the brunet felt were a waste of time and space, and he barely acknowledged their existence. But when it came to Jounouchi, the young CEO would go out of his way to irritate, aggravate, and just generally annoy him.

Seto had also been content to maintain the status quo. While his current situation didn't allow him much one-on-one time, he was still able to see the other on a fairly routine basis (and then, in the privacy of his room, engage himself in various fantasies, courtesy of his overzealous imagination). Unfortunately, after meeting with the principal, Nakimora-sensei, that past Friday afternoon, he'd realized the slight flaw in his present arrangement. Nakimora-sensei had been quite pleased to inform the brunet that thanks to his stellar academic performance, the school was receiving several academic grants and government funding which would be used to improve both facilities and the curriculum. He'd then gone on to inform the sapphire-eyed teen that at the Commencement ceremonies in June, Seto would be the one receiving the cheque on behalf of the graduating class. 

The meeting had left the dark-haired teen brooding as he'd headed home. He'd forgotten about graduation. Not because he loved school and immersed himself in it – truth be told, in his opinion, the sooner he could get the hell out of there, the better – but simply because he'd just never bothered to really care enough about it. He didn't give a damn about Commencement parties, or signing yearbooks, or any of the other pedantic bullshit that went hand-in-hand with high school life. But now, as the reality of the situation hit him, he found that graduation meant one of two things for him. He could either try to forget about Jounouchi and carry on with his life, passing up a chance to find out what could potentially be, or he'd have to make a move and let the other know how he felt. And neither choice seemed palatable to him. On the one hand, he wasn't one to simply cut his losses and walk away from a challenge without a fight, and yet, opening himself up without holding some sort of advantage seemed equally unsavoury. Nevertheless, he knew there was a choice involved – even doing nothing would bring about consequences.

The weekend passed rather uneventfully, and as he was walking into the school on Monday morning, he overheard a couple of girls who worked on the yearbook committee talking about all the fantastic memories they were going to have of the place. Suddenly, he was struck by an idea, and a wicked smile crossed his face. Passing by the office, he asked to see the principal, and he was granted an audience. As he settled into the visitor's chair, he rested his forearms on the armrests and steepled his fingers in front of him. "I have a proposal for something for the graduating class."

Nakimora-sensei arched a brow. "Oh?" He leaned forward a little in interest. "What is it?"

"A class trip. Just a few days to Tokyo. It would be a chance for us to have a practical application of our subjects. For example, botany at the Shinjuku Gyoen, biology at the Shinagawa Aquarium, cultural studies at the Meiji Shrine and the Asakusa Shrine, history at the Tokyo National Museum." He knew he was speaking off the cuff with this, but he also was quite adept at making things up on the fly. "Plus," he continued, "it would be an opportunity for us, as a class, to create lasting memories of the whole high school experience." He stopped then. He didn't want to oversell it lest the older man suspect something more was afoot.

The principal's second brow joined the first. "Interesting," he remarked. "But logistically, is it even feasible? I mean, an itinerary would have to be developed and confirmed, teachers would need to be selected as chaperones, exercises would have to be prepared, accommodations would have to be arranged...there just isn't enough time with only three months left in the term. Besides, how would the students afford it? Many would require the entire school year to save for something like that."

"Announce it," Seto countered. "I have staff that can arrange a suitable itinerary – subject to your approval, naturally – and take care of all administrative details like transportation and accommodation. KaibaCorp can supplement some of the costs as a tax deduction to the school – anonymous, of course. The students would only be required to come up with a nominal fee for incidentals and shopping, and they should have plenty of time if we schedule it for the beginning of May. That's six weeks from now."

The older man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and regarded the teen carefully for several moments. It was obvious he was contemplating something heavily. "Just answer me one question, Kaiba-kun," he said after another period of quiet reflection. "Why do you want this so badly?"

The question surprised Seto, but his expression remained neutral. Suddenly, a smug smirk curved his lips upward. "Ego," he said simply. "I want my year to be better than anyone else's. More memorable."

At that, the principal laughed softly. "Of course, Kaiba-kun. How silly of me." He pondered a bit longer, and then he sighed. Sending the students away would be a bit inconvenient, but then again, _he_ could be one of the chaperones, and truth be told, the teen was willing to do the majority of the work – which he knew would be meticulous, precise, and problem-free. Furthermore, he had a sneaking suspicion the young CEO had connections in Tokyo and would be able to pull together a good trip. Finally, he nodded. "Very well, Kaiba-kun. I'll make a preliminary announcement this morning and we'll see what the response is like. If it's well-received, we'll get your people to proceed."

The brunet's smirk widened as he got to his feet. "I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about." He returned to the corridors, which were now considerably fuller, and made his way to his classroom to send off a few emails to his secretary to get her started on the project. When the homeroom period began, Seto half-listened to the announcements, a sense of self-satisfaction washing over him when he heard the excited murmurs and whispering that followed Nakimora-sensei's words. He glanced across the room and saw that even the Yugi-tachi looked enthused – all except for Jounouchi. Seto wondered if maybe it was because he didn't have the money to spare, and a slight frown creased his brow.

He'd just have to make sure the blond's friends convinced him that it was in his best interest to go.


	2. Chapter 2

The train was scheduled to depart at seven in the morning that Tuesday. This meant that in order for Jounouchi to make the twenty minute walk _and_ have time to eat breakfast, he'd have to get up at six so that he could shower, dress and make some toast. As it turned out, he woke up at twenty after six. After a few minutes of frantic flailing, he took a very fast, very cold shower (he didn't have time to wait for it to warm up), threw on whatever clothes he saw first, grabbed a plain slice of bread and his kit, and had to _run_ to make it before seven.

By the time Jounouchi arrived at the station, the train was already packed with excited students. After giving his teachers a sheepish smile for his chronic tardiness, he heaved his duffle up into the car, and then went off in search of his friends. Despite his initial reluctance about the trip, he'd soon gotten excited about it – especially once he'd learned the relative cost to go. After sacrificing his evenings to work as a line cook in the local diner, and his weekends to work the mornings at the fishing docks and a night shift as a department store stock boy, he'd managed to amass a fair amount of spending money – something he'd never really had. He'd also never really been out of Domino except to attend a couple of dueling tournaments, and the prospect of going to Tokyo was almost too good to pass up. Granted, it was still school, and there would be assignments to complete, but he didn't care. The evenings would afford him opportunities to roam around and explore as _he_ wanted to (he hoped!), plus being with his friends non-stop for a few days would be fun.

The ride to Tokyo was only a couple of hours, so he was quite pleasantly surprised to see that the train itself was well-appointed, and was made up of several semi-private compartments that held four to six students each. The majority were already full of happy looking, enthusiastic teens, and when he finally found the compartment his friends were in, he stopped dead in his tracks. On the one bench sat Anzu, Yugi, and Otogi, while the other was taken up by Ryou and Honda, and... _Miho_? The girl was just stowing her things and after getting settled down against the stocky brunet, she smiled sweetly up at the blond. Jounouchi's jaw dropped a little, and rather rudely, he pointed at the girl. "What in the fuck is _she_ doing here?" he demanded, ignoring her when she stuck out her tongue at him. "I thought we'd agreed we were going to ride together, the six of us?" He saw Honda flush, and the fair-haired male shook his head. "Never mind," he continued lowly after a moment, giving his friend a glare. Obviously, when the blond had been detained, Honda had seized the opportunity presented. After all, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the hazel-eyed teen liked her and was hoping to score.

"Jou, you can have my spot. I don't mind moving," Ryou offered, and he began slipping his arms back into his jacket.

For a fraction of a second, Jounouchi actually considered it, but then he shook his head. "Nah, s'ok. I'll find another seat. You're already settled and shit." He did stare pointedly at Miho when he said this, and when the girl remained oblivious, he gave the rest a small smile. "Just don't fuck off and leave me on the platform when we get to Tokyo, ok?" he said teasingly as he closed the door and moved further down the train. He was still searching for a spot when Hoshi-sensei, the petite cultural studies teacher, came up behind him and grasped his arm.

"Jounouchi-kun!" she said in a hurried voice. "We're about to leave! We need to find you a place!" Quickly, she peered into the various compartments, and she let out a sigh of relief when she finally found a seat. "Well, I _knew_ there were enough spots! It was just a matter of finding one, ne?" she said with a laugh. "Hurry now, in here," she said as she tugged the blond over and pushed him inside, closing the door behind him.

Jou grinned when he saw the empty bench. He was going to have room to stretch out! Dropping his bag, he turned to look at his compartment-mates, only to immediately sober. He was face-to-face with Kaiba.

And he was alone.

For what felt like an eternity, the two simply stared at each other, each of them feeling like their hearts were beating out of control – yet for different reasons. If Seto had believed in such things as luck, he'd have truly thought fortune was smiling down on him. Not only was he going to be spending two hours alone with the blond, but _none_ of the Yugi-tachi was around. Talk about perfect setups. Jounouchi, on the other hand, was nervous. Sure, Kaiba was fun to look at, and he got a bit of a secret thrill out of getting in the brunet's face and talking smack when his friends were around – even if he usually did wind up looking the idiot afterwards at the hands of the quick-witted (and sharp tongued) CEO. But right now, as he felt that icy, sapphire gaze on him, he couldn't help but fidget awkwardly. He was already starting his trip off on a bad note, and the prospect of two hours of humiliation at the hands of one Kaiba Seto was certainly not going to do much to improve his mood.

"Shit," the blond finally murmured half under his breath as he sidled toward the door. Perhaps there was another compartment he could sit in. At this point, he'd settle for Seiyu and Haru from the chess club.

"What are you doing?" Seto asked after a moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he watched the other's attempt at subtlety. He rolled his eyes a little when the train began to move, and the sudden lurch set the fair teen stumbling a couple of steps. "Look Jounouchi, why don't you sit down before you fall down, ne?" When he received no response, and noticed that the other was now holding the door handle in an attempt to stabilize himself, he added, "Relax. I'm not going to bite."

Casting a wary glance toward the brunet, Jounouchi slowly made his way over to the empty bench and sat down on it. His entire posture was fairly guarded as he continued to stare across the area at his seatmate. He seemed hesitant to allow himself to loosen up any – after all, Kaiba could strike at any second, and he wanted to be prepared. When the other made no effort to move after five minutes, Jounouchi calmed down a little and turned to look out the window at the passing scenery. A hand came to rest on his stomach, and as discretely as possible, he attempted to shove the loudly grumbling organ back behind his kidneys in an effort to mute it. Suddenly, a movement at his peripheral vision caught his attention. "What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded, probably much more defensively than was absolutely necessary.

Seto, who had been in the process of pulling some snacks out of his satchel, merely arched a brow. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he offered in response. "I was getting something to eat – I held off on breakfast to enjoy it while I travelled." He set the croissant on the small tray at his side, and then he reached into his bag and pulled out a second. "Want one?" he asked as he held it out. When the blond continued to stare at him, he scowled slightly. "It's not poisoned, if that's what you're afraid of," he said tetchily. "If I wanted you dead that badly, I'd simply pay someone to have you shot and not waste my time with all the Cloak and Dagger bullshit."

Jounouchi's eyes widened for a moment at the almost brutal honesty, and then he felt a brief flash of anger. Leaning forward, he grabbed the sandwich. "Go to hell," he said by way of a snappy comeback, and almost petulantly, he drew his legs up to sit cross legged as he gazed again at Seto. "Why are you offering then, Kaiba? You've never offered me anything before." He tried to keep his expression one of great indignation as his stomach growled again, but as he unwrapped the sandwich from the waxed paper, he forgot to keep up his façade as a grin lit up his face. "No fucking way! Curried chicken salad!" Eagerly, he took a big bite out of one half, delighting in the various flavours that rolled over his tongue. "Man, I thought I was the only person who liked this! It's hard to find, and I've always gotta make it myself!" he added thickly through his mouthful.

The brunet snorted in amusement as he watched the other's exuberance, and with mock haughtiness, he replied, "I offered because I figured if you had something silencing the hole under your nose, it would be a much more pleasant trip for all concerned." He smirked when he saw the flags of colour appear on Jounouchi's cheeks, and he could see the irritation flare again in the amber eyes. "I'm kidding, Jounouchi," he said finally. "You were hungry, I was eating." The smirk widened as he unwrapped his own sandwich and took a bite of it. "I might be a stuck-up, selfish prick," he continued, throwing one of the blond's own insults back at him, "but I'm not that lacking in the social graces."

Jounouchi had the decency to blush at that, and with a sheepish smile, he said, "Yeah, well...thanks, Kaiba." He was quiet as he finished off his croissant, and then with a contented sigh, he crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into the trash bag. That had been _infinitely_ better than the bread he'd consumed earlier. Again, an awkward silence descended, and finally, for wont of something to say, he remarked, "I wish I knew what we were gonna be doing."

"When we arrive, we're getting settled at the hotel, and then going to the Shinagawa Aquarium this afternoon. Tomorrow is the Asakusa shrine and the Meiji Shrine. Thursday is the Tokyo National Museum, shopping, and a Noh play in the evening. Friday is the Imperial Palace, and then the Shinjuku Gyoen. And we take the train home on Friday afternoon to get back to Domino around six in the evening."

"How the fuck do you know that?" the blond asked, his eyes widening in disbelief as he listened to the brunet rattle off their schedule.

Seto chuckled as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a printed itinerary. "Keep it; I've already memorized it," he said as he handed it to the other. "We all got one of these as we boarded. Perhaps they missed you, seeing as how you nearly missed the train."

"Bite me," Jounouchi groused petulantly. "That wasn't my fault. I slept through the stupid alarm, and Honda was supposed to give me a wakeup call, but –" He cut himself off and pinked again when he realized he was rambling. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath.

The brunet raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the other for several moments. "Trouble in paradise?" he quipped dryly, and then snorted in amusement when he was flipped off for his remark. He finished the one half of his sandwich, and by way of apology for his cheek, he passed the other part to the blond. He crossed his legs at the knee and casually folded his arms across his stomach before he pressed, "Seriously, I thought your group was inseparable. You always seem to shuffle along in a giant herd anyway. Don't take this the wrong way, Jounouchi, but you were the last person I'd expected to be sitting with today." Not that he was complaining in the least.

The fair-haired teen scowled around the bite of sandwich he had, though his irritation wasn't directed at Seto. After he'd swallowed, he said, "Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting to be sitting here with you either, Kaiba. And I wouldn't have been if Honda didn't think with his dick all the time. Miho's glommed on to him, and he's too fucking stupid to realize that she's only with him this week because she knows he'll buy her whatever the hell she wants. Just like the last time she hung around with us. And he doesn't remember that. He's too busy thinking of how big of a piece he's gonna get!" His scowl deepened, and he added, "I'd bet you anything that as soon as we get back to Domino, she's going to dump his ass – unless she finds some other sucker with even more money to latch on to before then."

Seto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as he listened to Jounouchi's tirade. He'd never really given a damn about the local gossip, and quite frankly, the antics of his classmates merely strengthened his opinion that they were all a bunch of blithering imbeciles. "And what about Yugi?" he asked.

The blond offered him a smirk. "Come on, Kaiba! Use that big brain of yours. Yug' and Anzu are seeing each other. You really think they're going to want a third wheel tagging along after them? I mean, if it'd been me and Hon', no problem, but just me? Yeah, _awkward_." He chuckled a bit before he added, "Gotta give Yug' credit, though. He could do a fuck of a lot worse than Anzu."

Seto's eyes widened just a little when he heard that. In all this time, he'd never once considered the possibility that Jounouchi was straight. If that was true, this whole trip would be rather pointless. He supposed that in a worst case scenario, the two of them could be just friends. That thought brought a grimace of disgust to his face. He didn't settle for second best – for him it was win or nothing.

Jounouchi must have seen the look, for a moment later, he laughed. "God, Kaib', she's not _that_ bad! I mean, she does have a pretty cute body." Suddenly, his eyes widened. "And if you tell her that, I'll kill you, I swear it!" he added as he pinked a little.

The brunet shrugged. "I suppose. Her voice is off-putting, though." He took a deep breath to steel himself, and then with an air of nonchalance asked, "She your type, then?"

"Fuck, no!" the blond replied. "I said she's cute, but I couldn't date her! She'd drive me crazy!"

"Then what _is_ your type?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "I dunno, really. I guess I'm kinda shallow in that I don't want any ugmos. I like a pretty face. Long hair. A good cook…" He let out a sheepish chuckle. "I think it depends on the girl. Guys are a different matter altogether, and I'm pretty picky." When Seto nearly choked on the bottled water he was drinking, amber eyes narrowed. "Yeah, surprise, surprise, I swing both ways. You got a problem with that?" he demanded almost a little too defensively, and before the other could answer, he continued. "It's not the package, it's what's inside that matters. So what if it's a girl or a guy? If the feelings are true, who cares!"

The brunet hastily shook his head as he reached for a napkin. After wiping his mouth, he said, "I don't have a problem with it, Jounouchi." After all, he too, preferred both sexes – it doubled one's options. "I just wasn't expecting it; that's all." He noted that the blond relaxed a little on hearing that, and after a moment, he returned to their conversation, now satisfied that he wasn't pursuing a futile endeavour. Mentally, he went over the list of Jounouchi's friends. Honda had blown the blond off to hook up with Miho, and Yugi and Anzu were going to be off doing sickeningly sweet things together as a couple. That just left the creepy albino, but from what he remembered hearing from Otogi, the two of them were dating. 'Ebony and Ivory', was how the raven-haired CEO referred to them, and at the time, the mental imagery had made Seto's stomach turn. This was certainly shaping up to be quite interesting – especially considering Jounouchi was the only single in a sea of couples. A smirk curved the corners of his mouth upwards as he took another drink, and sapphire eyes gazed almost predatorily at the blond. By the end of the week, either Jounouchi would be his, or he'd swear off that particular prey for good.

Let the hunt begin.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon their arrival in Tokyo, the students gathered up their belongings and went outside to meet the tour buses that would be chauffeuring them around for the duration of their stay. Domino High was a fairly small school, but it still took six coaches to carry all the teens and the chaperones. Nakimora-sensei and the other teachers were trying to get everyone onto the right buses, and after about twenty minutes and some moments of confusion, they were on their way to the Keio Plaza Hotel.

Jounouchi had met up with his friends shortly after detraining, his earlier irritation with them melting away upon hearing their apologies. Besides, when they'd boarded the buses and Yugi had chosen to sit with _him_ , how could he possibly stay mad? Things felt right again, and even though he felt the tiniest twinge of guilt when he saw Seto get on the bus and take a seat at the front, he couldn't bring himself to go sit with the brunet. ' _Besides,_ ' he tried to convince himself, ' _it's not like we're friends, and he'd probably just yell at me anyway._ ' He chanced another glance toward him when the bus pulled out, and his stomach plummeted when he saw that Seto still didn't have a seatmate. ' _He prefers it that way,_ ' he told himself a moment later, as if trying to make himself believe it, and after a while, he did relax some. Still, after the conversation they'd had on the way up, he wasn't entirely convinced that his vehement denial of their friendship was true – especially after he found himself defending the blue-eyed brunet when Honda and Otogi started making comments. This only led to increased teasing, and the claim that the blond 'had the hots' for Seto. Blushing furiously, he fell silent, thinking his friends to be supreme assholes and wishing that, for once, he'd kept his big mouth shut.

Finally, they reached the hotel, and after listening to a long list of instructions from the teachers (which Jounouchi, admittedly, only half-heard) they were given permission to take their belongings up to their suites. The students were going to be three to a room, and the blond was quite happy when he found he was sharing with Honda and Ryou. The three of them carried their luggage up to their floor, and Jounouchi grinned in pleased surprise when he saw Yugi, Otogi and Seto were their neighbours – even more so when they realized that there were doors adjoining the suites, so if they wanted to, they could make one big room for all of them to simply come and go. The suite itself was nice, and Jounouchi was excited to see that they got full cable – something he didn't have at home. He was still flipping through the various channels when Yugi tugged him up by the arm. 

"Come on, Jou-kun! We have to be back downstairs to meet the buses to go to the aquarium."

"Aquarium?" He reached for the itinerary that Seto had given him on the train and arched a brow. He'd been to the Domino Marine World once or twice, and while there had been a few cool things to look at, in his mind, it hadn't been overly spectacular. "Are we seriously spending four hours there?" he asked incredulously as he allowed the spike-haired teen to drag him to the elevators.

Otogi rolled his eyes as he leaned against Ryou. "We're getting some lame assignment to complete while we look around, remember?" he stated. "I'm sure that will at least double the time any normal person would spend looking around at fish, ne?"

The blond's face fell at that. He'd forgotten about the homework assignments, and given his hatred of school and his difficulty of completing work under a time deadline, he knew he was seriously screwed. "Right...those." He let out a weak chuckle as he stepped into the elevator. His anxiety increasing a little, he sighed softly. It was going to be four days of testing. Fantastic.

* * *

Jounouchi's initial reluctance about the Shinagawa Aquarium had been completely unfounded. The exhibits were _infinitely_ better than what he remembered from Domino Marine World. In fact, once he got inside, the blond was in awe. There was a huge tropical exhibit which had a glass tunnel going beneath it that permitted visitors to look up to see rays and sea turtles swimming by, a touch pool where one could play with starfish and small hermit crabs, a stage for a sea lion and dolphin show, a shark tank, and according to the blond, the best exhibit of all, Penguin Land.

Jounouchi had always liked the little, tuxedoed creatures since he'd first seen one at the Brooklyn Zoo years ago. He could literally sit for hours and watch them waddle and swim and preen. Today was no different, and after being parked for about twenty minutes on the benches and watching the large tank, the blond's friends had had enough bird watching for one day. Leaving Jounouchi alone to observe and giggle at their antics, they'd carried on to other parts of the aquarium – a fact that the amber-eyed teen was more or less oblivious to. He noticed their absence after another twenty minutes had passed, but he wasn't quite ready to leave just yet. His assignment paper was still blank, save for his name at the top, but he didn't care, really.  
He'd get to it eventually, and if need be, furiously scribble down a few answers from Yugi. He hoped. Finally, he became aware of a presence beside him, and forcing his gaze from the animals, he glanced over, somewhat surprised to see Seto sitting there, his arms and legs crossed, and watching the penguins. "Kaiba?"

"Once a mate has been chosen, it's for life." Sapphire eyes glanced sidelong at Jounouchi, and there was a brief upward curve of his lips.

The blond gasped a little. "Wh-what?" The amber gaze widened in uncertainty over the relevance of the comment.

"Question thirty-seven. The answer is penguins." Quite enjoying watching the other squirm, the tall brunet unfolded himself and leaned back a little on the bench, his arms extended behind him. "I had no idea you had such an interest in zoology," he quipped dryly. 

"What? Oh, uh...yeah. I mean, no...I've never understood all this science crap."

Seto smirked at the terminology. "Never understood it, or never tried to?" he asked.

Jounouchi opened his mouth to fire off an angry reply, but closed it after a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. The taller teen hadn't said anything really disparaging, and honestly, it was a good question. He supposed that the crux of it was that he'd been told he was too stupid to do anything with his life, and he'd more or less lived by that, accepting that he'd eventually wind up like his old man, drifting from loser job to loser job. Besides, it had always been easier to just coast academically as he did than to actually buckle down and do the work. He noticed that Seto was still looking expectantly at him, and with a small shrug and a sheepish gaze downward, he said, "I was told I couldn't, so..." He trailed off and shrugged again, a bit of pink colouring his cheeks.

"Hn...I never thought you were the type to give up on something because someone told you that you can't." His smirk widened. "You didn't when I told you that you were a third-rate duellist with no discernable talent."

The amber gaze widened again at that, and Jounouchi felt a bit irritated, both from the barb and from the fact that the brunet had just completely shattered his point. "Yeah, well," he began, somewhat indignantly, only to sigh. He couldn't exactly tell the dark-haired teen that he had this near-irrational need to prove himself to him. "It's a little late now, ne?" he said, a note of despondence in his voice. "We've only got what, six weeks of school left."

This time, it was Seto who shrugged. "Hire a tutor, study for the end-of-year exams. Do well enough on those, and universities will at least take your application under consideration. Retake the test in mid-August to prove you've learned the material and that you're committed to studying, and they'll take you come September."

A flicker of hope flashed across Jounouchi's eyes, but then they clouded again. "Yeah, but how the fuck am I supposed to hire a tutor – especially a good one? Not to mention, I'd have to pay tuition –"

The brunet huffed impatiently at that. "Jesus Christ, am I going to have to spoon feed you through the whole process?" he demanded. "Look, for now, worry about a tutor. If you're serious, I can help you. Or, you can continue to sit there, content with your own mediocrity, and spend the next thirty years wondering if you really could have made something of yourself."

The blond's mouth turned down in a scowl. "You know what, Kaiba? Go to – wait, what?" His anger was replaced by confusion as he stared dumbfounded at the other. " _You_ want to help _me_? That's rich."

The sapphire gaze remained impassive as Jounouchi flitted rapidly from emotion to emotion in his attempt to process what had been said. When the blond finally fell silent, Seto said, "Despite what I may have said to you in the past, I don't truly think you're stupid. I believe you're lazy and undisciplined, but you're not stupid. I think you could do this, and wind up doing whatever the hell you want to. The real question, however, is do you?" He turned his attention back to the penguin display, and he smiled a bit as he watched two of them 'pop' up out of the water and onto the land. "They are cute," he remarked after a moment.

Jounouchi stared open mouthed at the brunet for a long time as he tried to process what the other had just said to him. He wanted to be angry over the comments, but he couldn't because they were honest, and to an extent, constructive. He also wondered if the person beside him really was Kaiba Seto, because in all the time he'd known him, he'd be hard pressed to think of any other occasion when he'd heard the stoic teen use the word 'cute'. Giving his head a shake to clear the mental cobwebs, he flicked his eyes back to the animals. "Yeah, they are. They're my favourite," he answered, and in the back of his mind, he began seeing images of himself working at a place like that, taking care of them. Suddenly, he smiled. "Ne, Kaiba? I think I'd like that." He pinked a little when the brunet looked over at him and arched a brow in askance. "I'd like for you to tutor me. I'd like to see how far I can go."

Seto nodded. "Good. When we get back to Domino, we'll work out the details. But for now..." His gaze shifted down to the blond's untouched homework assignment. "You'd better get your ass in gear." He stood up and smoothed down the front of his uniform. "On your feet, Jounouchi. I'll help you with this, but you're going to do the work." He chuckled. "I've already given you one answer. Only ninety-nine more to go."

* * *

Jounouchi was somewhat surprised at how quickly – and easily – he had worked through his assignment with Seto beside him. True to his word, the brunet hadn't simply given him the answers, but had made the blond find the information. Granted, he'd explained things when there were questions, and had helped when he'd noticed the frustration creeping in, but for the most part, Jounouchi had completed the work on his own. He smiled a bit as he turned his paper in to Takinawa-sensei, one of the science teachers, and he couldn't help but feel extremely proud of himself. He'd actually _completed_ an assignment without having to rush at the end and make up several of the answers as blind guesses. Or rely on someone else and copy.

Standing out on the sidewalk and waiting for the others to show up, Jounouchi looked around for Seto, and found himself smiling softly when he saw the tall brunet once again off on his own. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he made his way over to him, glancing down at the bag from the gift shop the other carried. "For Mokuba?" he asked.

Seto gave the fair-haired teen a smile when he came over, and then nodded. "Mm hmm. He informed me that he wanted several souvenirs from the places we visit in Tokyo." He neglected to mention that he also had something for Jounouchi – he was just waiting for the right moment.

The blond's brow furrowed a little. "Haven't you ever been to Tokyo before?" he asked.

Again, the brunet nodded. "Many times. Though I don't usually tour the attractions when I'm here, and Mokuba wanted something a bit more...'touristy'."

Jounouchi had to laugh at that. "Kid's got everything anyone could ever want, and he wants the kitsch."

Seto also chuckled at that. "Some of it isn't complete shit," he said after a moment. Digging in the bag, he pulled out a shark plushie wearing a t-shirt that read 'Shinagawa Aquarium' on the front. "What do you think?" he asked.

The blond lightly petted the soft fur, and grinned. "I think he'll like it. A shark's a good animal. Especially for describing a Kaiba," he added teasingly as he nudged the other.

"Idiot," the brunet replied good-naturedly, and he smirked. To be fair, it wasn't a _bad_ comparison, he thought. "If that's what you think, then perhaps I'll hang on to your gift."

Amber eyes widened excitedly at hearing that. "You got me a present?" A brilliant smile lit up Jounouchi's face, and he turned a pleading expression on the other. "You know I was just kidding with you, Kaiba! Come on, what is it? Please?" If possible, he made his expression even more pathetic.

Seto couldn't help but laugh. "I take it back; you're not an idiot, you're a jackass. Cut it out; people are looking at you." When Jounouchi returned to the grin and straightened up a little, Seto pulled out the small rockhopper penguin plushie he'd picked up – one of the species that _did_ mate for life. "You worked hard today, and I know you like them, so maybe this will provide you some inspiration or motivation, ne?"

Jounouchi's grin widened even more at seeing the gift. "God, thanks, Kaib'!" he remarked, and he took a step toward the other as if to embrace him, but caught himself at the last moment. Pinking a little, he said, "It's great! And hell yeah it's going to be a motivator!" His expression turned a bit more demure, and he looked almost shyly up at the other. "I won't ever forget this, you know. Not the gift, but what you've done for me. All of it. And just...thanks." He heard Yugi and Honda's voice in the distance, and he turned around when they called his name. For a fraction of a second, he seemed to hesitate, and then he gave the brunet a small smile and took off to join his friends.

Seto watched the blond for several moments before he made his way back to the bus and climbed on. He smirked when he noticed that Jounouchi plunked Yugi down into a seat one row back and kitty-corner to him, and though he didn't turn around, he knew that the other was watching him. He'd been serious in his offer to help the blond study – not just because it would afford him more time with the other, but also because he truly did believe Jounouchi had potential. The same held true with his assistance that afternoon. Granted, he wasn't prepared to be so generous if Yugi and company were around – they could struggle on their own as far as he was concerned – but so long as the blond was left on his own, he made a mental note to be there for the other.

He listened to Honda and Otogi jabbering away, and a slight frown creased his smooth brow. He didn't understand entirely what was going on with the Friendship Squad, and why Jounouchi was suddenly a sort-of outcast, but he vowed to find out. He was glad, in a way, because it made his job easier, but if he found out they were using him, there was going to be hell to pay. The slight smile returned to his face when he heard Jounouchi's laugh, and he settled back against his seat.

He was making progress.


	4. Chapter 4

Jounouchi couldn't stop yawning as he leaned his head against the bus window as the coach made its way through the busy streets to the Meiji Shrine. It wasn't that he was bored, but he was _exhausted_ , not having gotten much sleep the previous night. He had started out all right – he'd drifted off around eleven, only to be woken by a soft slurping sound just after one. At first, he'd thought he was dreaming, but as he'd lain there in the dark and had grown more awake, he'd become more focused on the sound. Eventually, he'd opened his eyes, and after determining that the source was coming from the other bed, he'd chanced a glance in that direction. 

Almost immediately, he'd regretted that decision. 

From what he'd been able to discern in the darkness – and God knew he'd really not _needed_ any more detail – Otogi had crept over to their room, and he and Ryou had been in the middle of one intense make out session. He'd felt his stomach lurch when he'd realized what was going on – from the sound of it, Otogi was a very sloppy kisser, and in hindsight, he was somewhat surprised that Ryou hadn't floated away on a sea of drool. Not that he'd needed that particular visual, either. After demanding crossly if that was absolutely necessary in front of him, he'd been told to either go back to sleep or to disappear for a while by the raven-haired male. So that's what he'd done. After dressing, he'd gone down to the lobby and had curled up rather uncomfortably in one of the hotel chairs – until security had chased him out of there a little after four. At that point, he'd returned to the room, and after seeing that both Ryou and Otogi were sleeping, he'd curled back up with Honda, noting with wry amusement that the stocky brunet had barely even budged the entire night.

'Lucky bastard,' Jounouchi thought to himself as he closed his eyes, the sunlight coming in through the window warming his face and causing him to grow even drowsier. Pushing the thoughts of 'Ebony and Ivory' out of his mind with a mental promise to smother them both with a pillow if they started in again tonight, he let his mind wander back to their morning at the Asakusa Shrine. Hoshi-sensei had informed them that this particular shrine drew both Shinto and Buddhist worshippers, and had highlighted areas that they should look at while inside.

The blond was anything but devout when it came to all things religious, so of course, he'd viewed the experience as interesting, but hardly spiritual or enlightening. He'd found the Goju-no-to, the five-storey Pagoda, somewhat cool looking from an architectural standpoint, and he'd thought the legend of the statue of Kannon was a pretty good story, but he barely knew the difference between Nio, the guardian deity of the Buddha, and the Buddha himself. Nevertheless, he _had_ queued up with all his classmates to burn paper wishes in the large, metal urn in the centre of the shrine – after all, he did believe in luck, and it never hurt to have a wish or two submitted to be acted upon by divine intervention.

He'd run into Honda and Miho on the Nakamise – apparently, Miho had her heart set on a silk yukata, and some paper fans, and a whole bunch of other shit Jounouchi hadn't quite been able to make out but had noticed the hazel-eyed brunet carrying for her. He'd bought himself a red bean paste cake shaped like a robin, and as he'd sat down to eat it, he'd silently worked through his assignment.

He smirked to himself as he drew his feet up on his seat. The first part had been pretty straightforward with no real twists. As he fell into a light doze, his last thought was that maybe there was something to that wishing thing after all.

Of course, that idea was immediately dismissed when the group arrived at the Meiji Shrine, and Jounouchi had a look at their assignment. With a groan, he thunked his head against the enormous cypress entrance gates, and silently bemoaned how utterly unfair his life was. He gave Hoshi-sensei a weak smile when she breezed by, the petite teacher in her element and obviously excited. He watched her in bemused fascination for a few seconds, pulling himself together a moment later as he trudged to the centre of the massive torii. He paused to watch Honda and Otogi ham it up for photographs in front of the large barrels of sake that some of the devout had donated to the shrine, and he shook his head and snickered when their cries of, "Our prayers have been answered!" wafted back to him. He knew for a fact that the last time Honda had drank sake, he'd spent the majority of the night puking and had subsequently been incredibly hung over the next morning.

"Morons," he heard an icy voice next to him mutter lowly, and he felt a sudden, inexplicable thrill of excitement run through him when he glanced over and saw Seto standing there, glowering at the two males.

The blond offered him a small grin, and asked, "You must find it kind of offensive seeing them carrying on like that, ne?"

Sapphire eyes shifted to look at the fair-haired teen. "Why would I?" he asked, most of the frost melting from his voice.

At that, Jounouchi fidgeted a bit nervously. "Well, you look all pissed off and stuff – more than your usual pissed off – so I figured you must, uh…" He didn't want to say 'worship'. "…Practice."

The brunet snorted in amusement. "I don't. I just know that those two jackasses are being disrespectful to those who _do_. But more importantly, considering we're all dressed alike, people are going to associate me with them."

The blond smirked a little at the answer. "Yeah, but if anyone asks, you can say that you're here because you had to come, ne? That, or do like the rest of us do. If someone makes a comment, just tell them that those two are a little, you know, 'special'." He arched a brow in surprise when Seto actually laughed outright at that, and then his eyes lit up with happiness at the sound. He'd never actually heard the blue-eyed teen's true laugh, but it was deep and rich, and without the usual contempt in it, warming even. After a moment, his smile faded when he looked around and saw that his friends had taken off again, and he couldn't see them amid the crowd of people there. "Damn it!" he said in exasperation as he again scanned the area. "Anzu's into all this crap and said she'd help me!"

"It isn't that complicated to understand," the taller male remarked. "Come on, I'll explain it to you." He walked underneath the massive arch-like gate, and then turned to wait for the blond to join him. "The torii are entrance gates. They mark the division between our world and the spirit world. Passing under them is supposed to purify your heart and mind, and is the first step in preparing to pray to the kami of the shrine." The corners of his lips turned up when he saw Jounouchi pass through, almost nervously looking upward and around. "What's the matter?"

"N-nothing," he remarked as he gave the brunet a nervous smile, not wanting to say outright that the idea of being in the realm of ghosts and the like made him a little anxious. Hurrying along, he moved to catch up to Seto. "So, this is the spirit world, ne?" Again, amber eyes darted around. "It's nice. I guess."

The brunet's smirk widened. "Baka. It's metaphorical. It's not like by being in here we're going to be attacked by ghosts or anything." He saw the slight pink colour the other's cheeks, and his expression sobered as his voice softened. "The kami are benevolent, Jounouchi." For a moment, he moved as if he was going to grab the blond's hand, but he caught himself and straightened again. "Trust me," he continued, sapphire gazing into worried amber.

For what felt like an eternity, the fair-haired teen stared back at the other, and when he heard the words 'trust me', his apprehension seemed to melt away and he nodded. Still, he subconsciously moved a half-step closer to the other before he asked, "Ok, so now what happens?"

Seto smiled. "We have to purify our bodies." He walked toward a large stone basin and rinsed his hands off in the running water, the expression widening a little when Jounouchi followed suit. Once they had finished, he picked up the small ladle that was there and filled it. "Hold out your hand," he instructed, and he poured a bit of water onto the upturned palm. He did the same for himself, using that water to rinse his mouth out.

As they walked to the shrine proper, the blond watched the other curiously, and after they'd deposited their coins in the offertory box, bowed, and offered their respects, Jounouchi held out an arm to stop the brunet. "I thought you said you didn't practice," he remarked.

"That's right. I don't."

"Well then…" He trailed off, as if trying to figure out how best to phrase his question without sounding rude. "How the hell do you know so much about this and what to do and stuff?"

"Gozaburo," Seto said simply, and when he saw the confused look on the other's face, he elaborated. "When he adopted us, he raised us to follow Shinto doctrine. After he died, I stopped going to the shrines, stopped following the tenets of the faith. I don't have a lot of time for things like religion and spirituality. So, as I said to you, I don't practice."

Jounouchi nodded in understanding, and for the rest of the afternoon, he was content to trail after the brunet and listen to the various things he had to tell him about the temple. He'd been pleasantly surprised when Seto had shown him the shrine's iris garden, and he had to admit that there was a lot of aesthetic beauty in the way the area was laid out. He was amazed to note that he _could_ sense a sort of calm spirituality about the place, and he found it left him feeling serene and at peace. "Kaiba?" he asked quietly as they walked along the edge of a small pond. When he was acknowledged, he continued, "Thanks. I mean it. You know, for taking the time to show me all this. No one ever has before, really. So…thanks."

The brunet smiled softly, turning away under the guise of looking at some foliage to hide his expression. "You're welcome," he replied simply, and then he glanced at his watch. "We're going to have to get the bus in about half an hour. Are you finished with your assignment?"

"Actually, I am," the blond replied with a pleased grin. "You were right; this isn't as complicated as I was making it out to be."

Seto's expression morphed into an extremely smug smirk. "Of course." They started to walk back to the parking lot, and the brunet kept glancing over at Jounouchi, quite content to have the other nearly pressed up against his side as they walked. And, when the lithe teen plopped himself down next to him as they took their seats on the coach, he was quite pleased – especially when the blond dozed off and wound up snuggled in against his shoulder.

When they reached the hotel, their teachers informed them that they had the evening to themselves, and after everyone had piled off the bus, Jounouchi approached Yugi and asked him what they were doing for dinner. Smiling sheepishly, the petite teen informed him that they were all heading to the Americatown Buffet because Miho and Anzu had seen an advertisement posted outside the shrine and really wanted to check it out. Afterwards, they were planning on going to see a movie and just hang out.

That news made Jounouchi's heart sink a little. The movie meant it would be three couples plus him, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit left out, especially considering an invitation hadn't formally been extended to him to join them. "Oh…um, sure, Yug'. I wanna take a look around here a bit, then shower and stuff, but yeah, maybe I'll catch up with you guys later." He gave the diminutive teen a wistful smile, and inwardly he sighed when his small friend seemed oblivious to his obvious discomfort and merely nodded and waved as he'd run off to catch up to Anzu. Turning around to head inside, he started a little when he saw Seto standing there and watching him. "What?" he demanded.

"You really want to know?" he asked with a smirk. "I'm sure you've already guessed it won't be something flattering."

"Yeah, I know," the blond replied, his tone a bit more dejected than he'd wanted to let on. "It always is." Glancing up, he asked, "Do you really hate me that much, Kaiba?"

"My comment isn't intended for you. And I don't hate you, Jounouchi. I just think that where your friends are concerned, you can be incredibly stupid sometimes."

Amber eyes flashed indignantly. "And how the fuck is that supposed to be not insulting to me, exactly?"

He smirked at the rise he got from the other, and moving a bit closer, the brunet said, "You're an honest soul and loyal to a fault. Your friends seem to know this, and spend time with you when it's convenient for them. Otherwise, they're more than content to go off in their happy little twosomes. Tell the truth, Jounouchi – have any of them actually _invited_ you to join them in anything they've planned out save for sitting with you on occasion, or has it all been primarily 'couples only'?" His expression softened when he saw the slightly downcast look, and even though the blond didn't reply, it didn't take a genius to know the answer. "Look, they're your friends, and you know them better than I do. I'm just telling you what I think based on what I've observed. If you want to go with them to Americatown, then by all means, go right the hell ahead. To be honest though, I had a client take me there once, and it's complete shit. You're wasting your money." Seto made a slight face at the memory. Shifting his position a little to put his hands in his pockets, he shrugged and said, "I know a few places around here that are good. I'll be leaving the hotel at seven if you'd like to dine with me. If you'd rather see loud decorations, deal with obnoxious wait staff, and eat mediocre, microwaved food, well, have at it."

The blond opened his mouth, and then shut it. Spending the evening with the other did sound like more fun, especially after how well they'd been getting along as of late, and he wouldn't be the odd man out. Besides, there was something decidedly appealing about having the attractive teen to himself, however… "I'd like to, Kaib', I really would, but…" He trailed off, worrying his lip slightly before continuing, refusing to meet the other's eyes as he reluctantly admitted, "There's no way I could afford to eat at the places you like."

"Baka," Seto chided as he smirked at the other. "Did I say you'd be paying? I didn't say you could come with me if you didn't have other plans. I believe I invited you as my guest."

Jounouchi gaped at that. "When you put it like that, you make it sound like a-a _date_!" he exclaimed in a rush, only to blush again when he realized what he'd said. Beyond mortified, he waited for the other to snap at him for being an idiot.

"You can call it whatever you'd like," the brunet responded, the sapphire darkening just a little as his gaze took in the pinked cheeks. "Remember Jounouchi – seven o'clock. And casual is just fine." Leaving the still shocked blond standing on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, Seto allowed a self-satisfied smirk to settle on his face as he entered the building.

The ball may have been in Jounouchi's court, but he was liking the outcome of this game.


	5. Chapter 5

In Seto's opinion, the previous evening had gone very well. Promptly at seven, he'd knocked on the door to Jounouchi's room to collect the blond. He'd been rewarded with a soft smile from the fair-haired teen, and a fantastic view of his ass thanks to the slim-fitting black jeans he'd chosen to wear. To further torment him, he'd noticed that the hem of his charcoal and crimson rugby shirt just tantalizingly skimmed the top of his back pockets, which sent his imagination into overdrive. He'd been certain that he'd been caught staring on a couple of occasions, but if the smaller teen had noticed, he'd not said anything nor given any other indication that he was aware.

He had had no idea what type of food the blond would want to eat, but he'd had a feeling that haute cuisine would be somewhat out of the question. Not because he didn't think Jounouchi would like it, but because there was a certain impracticality to it what with them lacking proper attire and the fact that he didn't want to make the smaller teen uncomfortable right from the start. In the end, he'd suggested a steakhouse famous for its Kobe beef, and had been quite pleased with himself when the blond had readily agreed, stating that steak was one of his favourites. Conversation had been light, and the silences comfortable.

After the amber-eyed teen had devoured a thick slice of triple chocolate cake, the brunet had suggested a walk around the downtown area. He'd shown his dinner companion several points of interest, answered his questions about certain buildings, and by the time they'd returned to the hotel, Seto had been convinced that Jounouchi returned his feelings – at least in part. Still, he hadn't wanted to rush, lest he startle the blond and undo everything he'd worked to gain. With that thought in mind, he'd bid the other good night, and had gone back to his own room to ponder his next move.

In the morning, Seto had been pleasantly surprised when they'd boarded the buses, and Jounouchi had hesitantly asked if he could sit with him. Giving him a smile in return, the brunet had moved to allow the blond to sit by the window, as he seemed to prefer, and had then settled back down beside him. As they'd headed to the Tokyo National Museum, they hadn't spoken much, but in his peripheral vision, Seto had noticed the other casting hesitant, almost shy glances in his direction, and once or twice, he'd seen the gorgeous, flustered flush he'd come to adore pinking Jounouchi's cheeks. It was at that moment he'd decided that come hell or high water, today would be the day that he'd take things to the next level and see what happened.

There had been few opportunities at the museum. Under normal circumstances, he'd have had to deal with all of his classmates milling about, though as if to further complicate matters (and frustrate the brunet), Fukome-sensei, the history teacher, had decided that his assignment would be a group project. The elderly male had divided the students up himself into quartets, and to ensure that there wasn't any swapping, every question set was different. Irritably, Seto had wondered just how much free time their teacher had to develop that many different assignments, and as he had strolled around the various exhibits, he had started to plan out his strategy. This was one place that Seto had been to before on a previous trip to Tokyo, and he'd always enjoyed the wide range of items the museum possessed. He hadn't been all that surprised when he'd found Jounouchi and Yugi examining the collection of Egyptian artifacts, and he'd rolled his eyes contemptuously when he'd noticed the diminutive teen looking a bit weepy as he'd prattled on to the blond about the spirit of the puzzle. Eventually, the whole conversation had started to grate on his nerves, and he'd moved on, making a note to come back to that wing later when it wasn't so _noisy_.

It hadn't taken him long to finish his homework, and after meeting with his group mates and giving them the answers they had needed (he wasn't about to get a shitty grade because he'd been stuck with inept partners), he had headed to the gift shop to find something for Mokuba. While he'd been perusing the various items for sale, he'd snorted in a combination of amusement and disgust when he'd seen Honda and Miho there, the fin-haired teen once again laden down with items as he'd stood in line and had tried not to drop everything while fishing out his wallet. Shaking his head at the sheer stupidity of it all, he'd returned to his browsing and eventually, he'd settled for a book on Japanese military history and a good replica of a samurai katana for his brother.

It was just before lunch when they returned to the hotel. The plan was to set the students free for the afternoon to do some shopping, and that evening, they would be attending a performance of 'Tamura' at the National Noh Theatre. Seto, by rights, was not a shopper. If there was something he needed, he bought it, though for the most part, he preferred to do his purchasing online. Besides, the idea of cruising the streets with his classmates was grossly unappealing. Instead, he planned on studying the guidebook that their literature teacher, Toyo-sensei, had provided for them to help them understand the play.

While the other students hurried to their rooms to change, Seto overheard Jounouchi muttering something to Yugi and Ryou about being tired and wanting to catch a nap. This struck the brunet as a bit odd, especially after the blond had excitedly talked the previous evening about how much he loved the city and was looking forward to doing a bit of exploring. He waited until his roommates had left, and then he knocked on the door to the adjoining room. 

Jounouchi looked genuinely surprised to see him. "Kaiba? What're you still doing here? I thought for sure you'd have gone out on the town."

The brunet smiled a little. "Believe it or not, I hate shopping, and I don't get any thrill out of browsing. I decided to stay here instead and enjoy the relative peace and quiet." He paused for a moment, and then fixed that sapphire gaze on the other. "What about you? Last night you wouldn't shut up about how much you were looking forward to getting out today. Are you not feeling well?"

"Nah, I feel fine," the blond replied. "I just don't wanna get dragged into every store so Miho and Anzu can look at clothes, and there's really nothing I can…er, _wanna_ buy for myself, so…" He trailed off, ending with a somewhat sheepish shrug. He caught the raised brow from the taller teen, and with a sigh, he said, "Look, I bought something I want to send to Shizuka. It cost way more than I thought it would, but it was perfect for her. And she doesn't have much to make her think of me. Well, nothing good, anyway. And I just…" He sighed again, and looked up at the brunet. "Honda and Otogi told me it was stupid, and that I shouldn't be wasting my money on shit my mom'll probably just throw out anyway."

"What did you buy?" he asked, genuinely curious. He understood why Jounouchi would want to send his sister something special. After all, from what he remembered of Battle City and the snippets of conversation he'd overheard over the years, the blond didn't get to see his younger sibling as often as he wanted – and his mother seemed intent to keep it that way.

"It's girly, but I know Shizuka'll love it." He retrieved a cardboard tube from his bed and carefully removed a silk scroll from inside. The material had been screened a delicate, pastel rose colour, and sakura blossoms and an ethereal looking peacock had been hand painted upon it in shades of pink, white, silver, and the softest greys. In the bottom right corner, almost entwined with the bird's tail, was the kanji for 'dream'. He worried his lower lip with his teeth as he chanced a glance up at the brunet, half looking as though he expected the other to confirm what his friends had told him.

"I think it's a very attractive, well thought out gift." He smiled a bit. "I like it, but I don't think I'd put that in my office or anything – the colours are all wrong for me." His expression softened a little when he saw the worry that still remained in the amber eyes. "Jounouchi, listen to me, because I'm only going to tell you this once. It makes no difference if your friends think it's a good present or not. Frankly, it's none of their business if you decide to send your sister something that cost five yen or five million yen. The point is, you know it will mean something to her, ne? Beyond that, it doesn't matter." He shifted his position to lean against the doorway. "And you weren't stupid to buy it. You want to talk stupid, talk to Honda about how much mindless shit he purchased at the museum today."

The blond did giggle a little at that. "That much?" He snickered harder when the brunet nodded. After a moment, he sobered and lovingly repackaged his gift, and then turned back to Seto. "Thanks, Kaib'."

"You don't have to thank me," the other replied, and after a moment's pause, he said, "I should probably leave you be – I overheard you say to Yugi that you wanted a nap."

Jounouchi made a face at that. "I just said that so they'd stop bugging me, but fuck me if I couldn't use one. Otogi and Ryou have been playing suckface for the past two nights, and 'togi isn't exactly a neat kisser, if you get what I'm saying. Their slupring not only keeps me up, but it grosses me out because I can't help but visualize it! Last night, they cut it short because I winged a pillow at the both of them. I mean, I like someone who isn't going to make me feel like I just had a bath afterwards, you know? Tongue is good, but –" His expression turned a bit sheepish when he realized he was dangerously close to entering the realm of TMI with his diatribe, and he cut himself off. "So, um…" Nervously, he scrubbed a hand through the hair at the back of his head and chuckled. "Feel like going over that guidebook with me? I've never really been into the artsy stuff like plays and the symphony and shit, so I think I'm gonna be totally lost tonight."

The blue-eyed teen nodded, and beckoned the other to follow him to his room. As he sat down on the edge of the bed, he smiled when Jounouchi joined him, and he picked up the booklet. "The great thing about Noh is that you don't have to know exactly what's being said at all times to understand and enjoy the play. And this one, I think you're really going to like," he said. "It's about General Sakanoue Tamura-maru, a famous samurai, now deceased. In the first act, he appears in the form of a human boy to speak to a travelling monk about the wonders of the nearby Kiyomizu temple, saying it was founded after the priest had met a manifestation of Kannon." He grinned when he saw amber eyes widen in recognition of the name. "Yes, it's the same one we heard about at the Asakusa Shrine. Anyway, after pointing out all the famous spots nearby, the boy vanishes. In the second act, the priest recites the Lotus Sutra throughout the night until Tamura-maru reappears in spirit form to tell of his battles against demons in the afterlife, and of the divine assistance he received from Kannon."

The blond perked up in interest as he listened to Seto speak. "Sounds pretty straightforward. But from what I remember hearing in class, you've got to use your imagination to see it, ne?"

"Yes and no. There's the actor's interpretation of the action, but there is a bit of narration so you can follow the story." He smiled a little. "Tell you what, sit by me, and if you get lost, I'll tell you what's going on."

"That'd be great! You really don't mind, Kaib'?"

The brunet shook his head. "I don't mind," he said, his tone taking on a slight gentleness, and drawing a deep breath, he reached for the blond's hand. "I don't mind in the least." A wave of uncharacteristic nervousness washed over him, and steeling himself against the potential rejection, he lightly threaded the fingers of his other hand in the silky, golden tresses and slowly leaned in to finally press his mouth to the soft, full lips he'd only tasted in his imagination.

Jounouchi tensed a little when Seto took his hand, and when he felt the slender digits against his scalp, his heart began to beat frantically in his chest. What felt like nanoseconds later, he was aware of a pressure against his mouth and warm breath on his skin, and before he could process what was happening and give _any kind_ of a response, he found himself looking into dark sapphire eyes, the taller teen having moved back to his original position. He was in disbelief over the whole thing, and when he tried to speak, the only thing that came out was a squeak of, "You…you _kissed_ me!"

"Yes."

"But…I'm a guy! I thought that–"

"I swing both ways. Have you got a problem with that?" Seto interrupted, a small smirk curving the corners of his lips upward as he tossed Jounouchi's earlier comment back at him.

The amber gaze widened in surprise at the other's words, and then the blond smirked back, having caught on. "You saying I'm your type?"

"Well, I am pretty shallow, so if you were a girl, definitely. Soft, blond hair, gorgeous smile, smooth skin – do you exfoliate?" He chuckled a bit when he received a small nod in response. "With guys, however, I am pretty picky."

Jounouchi couldn't help but snicker in amusement at seeing this side of Seto. He'd always thought him incredibly controlled and reserved, but now, watching him flirt, he found it endearing. And the fact that the brunet was repeating back his conversation from a few days ago nearly verbatim showed him that yes, the other really did listen to him. "You're such an ass," he remarked as he gave the taller teen a nudge with his shoulder. "And no, I don't have a problem with your preferences," he continued, his expression softening as he looked up into the sapphire eyes. "But you know I'm pretty picky, too."

Seto arched a brow in surprise at that. "Oh? Do I not meet your exacting standards?" he asked, mostly teasing. He was ninety-nine percent certain that Jounouchi was, too, but that slight uncertainty caused his breath to catch in his throat as he stared back into the dark amber.

The blond grinned. "Well, so far you do, but I need you to kiss me again. See, you caught me off guard when you did it, and I didn't really get to rate it."

"That's the lamest line I've ever heard," the brunet retorted, his own expression mirroring the other teen's. "But, I suppose I can accommodate you since my reputation is on the line and all." An impish glint entered his eyes as he added, "Try to pay attention, and I just hope that this time you'll actually participate."

"You're such an a-mmph!" The words died on the blond's lips and a soft groan escaped him when he again felt Seto's mouth on his. His eyes fluttered closed, and when a hand again twined in his hair, he tipped his head a little in that direction. His own arms wended their way around the brunet's neck, fingertips idly toying with the downy tresses at his nape, and he parted his lips slightly, flicking the tip of his tongue out teasingly. He was rewarded for his brazenness with a low growl, and moments later, he was moaning softly and clinging desperately to the taller teen as every surface of his mouth was being thoroughly explored. His head swam dizzyingly with pleasure at just _how good_ Seto could kiss, and when they finally broke apart, Jounouchi was left breathless, slightly flushed, and looking thoroughly debauched. "Fuck me," he panted lowly as he laved along his lower lip, his eyes still half-lidded.

"I assume you don't mean that literally," the brunet retorted, a smug grin on his face. "After all, it's not like we have a lot of privacy here."

Jounouchi laughed. "Keep kissing me like that and I might," he replied with a wink.

"Mm, sounds like a challenge to me," Seto countered as he slipped his arms around the blond's waist and shifted him onto his lap. Teasingly, he nipped at the plump, lower lip and murmured, "Though if I win, I want a rain cheque to call in at my discretion."

"Done," the blond purred as he shifted even closer to the brunet.

The taller teen smirked at that. And then spent the remainder of the afternoon 'convincing' the other.


	6. Chapter 6

Jounouchi stood on the wooden footbridge overlooking the koi pond in the Shinjuku Gyoen. Resting his forearms on the railing, he sighed contentedly as he thought back on the past twenty-four hours. When he'd started out on this trip, he hadn't had overly high expectations for it. Granted, he'd assumed he'd have some fun, and he'd been looking forward to seeing the megalopolis of Tokyo, but coming home happier than when he'd left – especially considering the way things had started – that was something he'd never imagined. A soft smile curved the corners of his lips upward as a warm breeze ruffled his hair, and he glanced down at the water when he heard the soft splash of a jumping fish.

Watching the small ripples radiate outward, his smile widened as he thought about the Noh play. Seto had been right – he'd enjoyed the show immensely. Not just because the plot had focused on a great warrior and his heroic exploits. Granted, that had been pretty cool, and he'd replayed the action afterwards in his mind, substituting his beloved Flame Swordsman for the samurai. But what he remembered most vividly was having the lithe brunet sitting next to him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he was able to recall the scent of Seto's cologne, and he could _almost_ feel the slight pressure on his hand from having had the blue-eyed teen lightly, yet discretely, holding it for the duration of the performance. Slowly, he curled his fingers into a loose fist, a small, pleasured shiver running through him at the memory.

Not even Otogi's lack of consideration had ruined his evening. This time, the dark-haired male hadn't even bothered with sneaking in to bed with Ryou in the middle of the night. He'd simply shown up as they'd been getting ready to go to sleep, and after listening to their various noises for a good twenty minutes, the blond had had enough. With a growl of, "Go to hell, Otogi," when the green-eyed male had jokingly asked him if he wanted to join them, he'd crossed over to the other room, bypassing the nearly-sleeping Yugi and kneeling down beside Seto. "Kaib'? I know it's weird of me to ask, but can I _please_ sleep with you?" he'd pled, pinking a little when he'd realized how that had come across. Hurriedly, he'd added, "Like, just to sleep. Otogi can't keep it in his pants for more than five seconds and the two of them are at it again. I'd _really_ like to get some rest tonight." He'd been overjoyed when the brunet had wordlessly pulled back the blankets for him, and after he'd quickly slipped between the sheets, he'd immediately felt the lull of sleep. He'd been vaguely aware of a single, soft kiss to his temple, and then he'd drifted off.

The visit to the Imperial Palace had been good. He'd liked looking at the old architecture and seeing the deep moats and high stone walls surrounding the structure. He'd been a bit disappointed to learn that they weren't allowed to go inside the inner walls, but as they'd explored the east garden, he'd gone and checked out the old foundation that still remained from one of the original battlement towers. As he and Seto had crossed the Meganebashi Bridge to return to the bus, the brunet had caught his hand and had asked him to go to dinner with him when they returned to Domino. Smiling, he'd nodded his assent, practically floating onto the coach as they'd headed off for the National Garden, and not even the ridiculously large assignment Takinawa-sensei had set for them had spoiled his good mood.

As they'd entered the grounds, Jounouchi had quickly learned of Seto's affinity for the gardens. The brunet had identified several species of flora, and when they'd come to the koi pond, he'd instructed the blond to wait for him there before he'd taken off to find them a snack. It was, after all, lunch time.

A soft brush against his back pulled his attention up from the water, and turning a little, he saw that Seto had returned. "Hi," he said, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

"Hi yourself," the other replied as he handed him the paper bag he was carrying, and then took his hand, leading him down to the grass so they could sit and eat.

"What is it?" the blond asked curiously as he allowed the other to pull him along.

"Onigiri. Half umeboshi, half sugar."

Jounouchi's grin widened. "How'd you know those were my favourite?"

The brunet gave him a small smile in return. "I've been watching you for three years, Jounouchi. One tends to pick things up if one pays attention."

The blond arched a brow in surprise at that. " _Three years_? Damn, Kaib', I had no idea." Carefully, he unwrapped one of the rice balls and took a bite.

The taller teen gave an awkward half-shrug. "I'm not exactly one to wear my heart on my sleeve," he replied as he peered into the bag.

"Ok, fair enough," the flaxen-haired male replied, and he popped the rest of his treat into his mouth. When he'd finished chewing, he asked, "So then, what made you change your mind? I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything. I kind of like hanging out with you like this much better than fighting with you."

"Graduation." He saw the curious look the other was giving him, and with a heavy sigh, he elaborated. "I was reminded that graduation was coming up, and I knew that if I didn't…" He trailed off, and not finishing his initial thought, he said, "I didn't want to throw away a potential opportunity."

Jounouchi continued to stare at him with a strange expression on his face for several moments, and finally he said dubiously, "A potential opportunity? That's what you're calling this?" He giggled suddenly and then added, "Fuck Kaib', I've never heard anyone call dating something so…so _clinical_!" Leaning into the other, his eyes softened when he realized he'd embarrassed the brunet, and he added, "I'm just teasing you. You know that, ne? Honestly, for you – no, for _us_ – it really does fit. And yeah, I'm glad for the opportunity, too."

"Hn, good. Though there's just one thing."

"What's that?"

"Who the hell said we were dating?"

At that, amber eyes widened, and the blond flushed deeply. "Oh God…I-I didn't mean to assume like that, Kaib'! I just thought that with last night, and then –"

"Jounouchi, I'm screwing with you." Blue eyes sparkled impishly, and setting down his still untouched onigiri, Seto took smaller male's hand in his, a thumb lightly brushing over the back of it. "Honestly though, is this something you want? Would you consider seeing me on a regular basis? Before you answer, I have to tell you that I'll still have work commitments, and that you're going to find yourself in the spotlight being associated with me."

The blond smiled softly in response. "I know, Kaib'. You've got a company to run, and Mokuba to look out for. That's cool. And I know that people are gonna want to get all up in our business, too. I think I can live with that. Just as long as you don't totally forget about me and promise me one night a week, yeah, I'd like that a lot."

"I think I can manage that," the brunet replied gently, and leaning forward, he captured Jounouchi's lips with his own, sealing their arrangement with a kiss.

* * *

The students were all standing on the platform at the station and waiting to board when Honda came running up to Jounouchi, his luggage flopping around behind him. Stopping, he panted breathlessly for a moment, and then grinned up at his friend. "Jou…so glad…I found you."

The blond's brow furrowed a little. "What's up, Hon'?"

The stocky brunet grinned at him. "Just wanted to make sure I caught you before we got on board." Clearing his throat, he said lowly, "I, uh…just wanted to say sorry. You know, about stuff."

Jounouchi arched both brows in surprise at that, and after he glanced around, he smirked slowly. "Where's Miho?" he asked with mock innocence. "I thought you'd be with her," he said. "I mean, the two of you looked pretty cozy all week."

Honda pinked a little and scrubbed a hand nervously through his hair. "Yeah, well, she decided she wanted to ride back with Saito." A hint of a smile ghosted over his features. "I guess he's got a plasma screen and a hot tub, and his parents are out of town, so…" He cleared his throat. "Fuck 'em, right?"

"Jesus, Hon'. How much did she soak you for?"

The hazel-eyed teen gave a casual shrug, and when amber eyes continued to stare at him, he said quietly, "Enough to max out my credit card."

"Holy shit," the blond muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He almost felt sorry for his friend. Almost. The fact that Honda had behaved like a giant twat over the past week left Jounouchi feeling less than charitable towards his plight. "Well what the fuck did you think would happen?" he asked crossly, his expression softening a little at the hang-dog look. "Honda, look man, I tried to tell you that she was only using you. I know you're a sucker for a pretty face, but she's burned you _twice_ now. If she takes you a third time, I swear to God, I'm going to beat the shit out of you myself, ok?"

The fin-haired brunet's eyes widened a little at that, but then he nodded and chuckled. "That's fair. So, we're good?"

Jounouchi snorted in amusement, and he gave the taller male a friendly hug before he punched him hard in the arm. "Yeah, we're good, you big dumbass. Just be a little fucking selective on who you chase after in the future."

"Cool. So, rather than watch the others suck face all the way home, I'm gonna sit with Yoshi and Chen. You in?"

At that, the blond's lips turned up in a coy smile. "Actually, I'm already sitting with someone."

"Who?"

"Me," a cool voice drawled from behind the stocky brunet.

Honda's head snapped around, his expression becoming one of horrified shock when he saw Seto standing there. " _Kaiba_?" he hissed, and he gave the blond look that silently asked if he'd gone completely mental. The hazel-eyed teen mentally questioned his friend's sanity, and when he saw the withering glare that the taller male shot his way, he shrank back a little. Suddenly, he had a burning desire to seek out Yugi and the others – he was willing to put up with a bit of PDA in order to share _this_ latest bit of gossip. After a moment, he cleared his throat again, and said, "Well uh, have...fun?" Not waiting for a response from either of them, he turned and headed off down the platform, pausing to grin and slip his arm around a redhead from their literature class as he disappeared into the crowd.

"He's such a primate," Seto remarked as he watched Honda for several seconds. "I take it you were right about Miho?" he asked as he picked up his bag and headed toward where everyone was boarding.

The blond nodded as he followed the brunet onto the train. "She took him for pretty much all he had and then moved on. Fuck, whatever; he doesn't seem too broken up about it." He grinned as they found an empty compartment, and after stowing his bags, he turned to the other. "But there are other things I'd rather talk about besides Honda and Miho."

"Oh? Such as?"

With a sly smirk, Jounouchi wordlessly slipped into Seto's lap and slid his arms around his neck. Slowly, he lowered his lips to the other's, sliding his tongue inside the brunet's mouth in silent challenge, and then pulling away a moment later. "Us?"

Blue eyes glinted softly as he slowly licked his lower lip, his expression slightly contemplative. "I have a better idea."

The blond's brow furrowed a little as he cocked his head to the side. "Better?"

"Mm hmm…I think we shouldn't talk at all."

"Oh fuck, that's a hell of a good idea," Jounouchi murmured against Seto's mouth. "Silence is golden and all that crap."

The brunet chuckled lowly as he teasingly suckled the blond's tongue, releasing it with a slight pop. "I had a feeling you'd think so," he whispered, and then he claimed the other's mouth in a slow, deep kiss.

By the time they reached Domino, Jounouchi had once again dozed off, curled snugly against Seto's side, his head resting against his shoulder. Giving the brunet a sheepish smile as he awoke, he got to his feet and carried his things off the train, waiting on the platform for the other to join him. As they made their way toward the waiting limo, he was stopped by the Yugi-tachi, all of them looking at him expectantly and wearing identical smiles. Amber eyes flicked to the side to Honda, and rolling them when he realized what had happened, he returned his gaze to his friends. "What?"

"Honda told us the news," Otogi said, not having any qualms about breeching the delicate nature of the subject – or showing a modicum of discretion. "Is it true?" he asked, a cheeky smirk on his face as green eyes looked up at the blue-eyed teen.

"Is _what_ true?" Seto demanded coolly, and Jounouchi felt his heart sink at the thought that _Otogi_ of all people would be the one to end this before it ever started.

The dice master's smirk widened. "You and Blondie. You've hooked up? Details, man!"

It was the brunet's turn to smirk. "You want details?" He snorted contemptuously and gave the raven-haired male a shove out of his way. "Guess you're going to have to wait and read about it in the paper like everyone else." With that, he ushered Jounouchi into his car, chuckling darkly at the gaping expressions on their faces when he shut the door on them. Turning to the now-giggling blond, he arched a brow. "What?"

The amber-eyed teen shook his head. "Nothing. Just can't wait to see that article, is all."

"Mm…" Seto leaned back in his seat, reaching for the blond's hand as they drove away. "Stunning billionaire Kaiba Seto settles down with cute, but hopeless puppy, lives happily ever after."

"Hey!" Jounouchi playfully swatted the brunet's arm, the effectiveness of his moue lost when he started to giggle again. "Ass." Settling into the other's side, he smiled softly, delighting in the feel of the slender fingers against his. "Puppy, ne? Hn…I guess that's ok. But only from you!"

The two fell into companionable silence as the limo made its way through the slowly darkening streets. Neither said anything further, but they were both of the same mindset.

That was a story both were looking forward to reading.


	7. Epilogue

Jounouchi smiled softly as he thought about what a difference six weeks could make.

True to his word, Seto had started tutoring the blond as soon as they'd returned to Domino, and the improvement in Jounouchi's academic performance had been noted almost immediately. He'd applied to Domino University's zoology program, attaching several letters of recommendation from his teachers citing his recent change in study habits. He'd been denied admittance to the specialized curriculum, but given his placement on his end-of-year exams, he'd been accepted to a general science program and invited to reapply at the end of his first year. He glanced over at the dresser, and he grinned when he saw his high school diploma and the scholarship for most improved student sitting there. He'd been dumbfounded when he'd heard his name, and Yugi had had to nudge him to get him to go up on stage to collect it. Seto, the valedictorian, had a seat up with the faculty, and he'd given the blond a proud grin as he'd received his award.

His smile widened a little as he thought about the blue-eyed brunet. The newspaper article had actually been quite flattering to him, and after the initial hype had died down, they'd been left to carry on with their lives. He was happy. And right now, he was pulling off his graduation robes, well on his way to being nude. As he shimmied out of his trousers, he cast a libidinous look toward the already naked brunet waiting on the bed, and then he crawled over to him, stretching out alongside the toned body and giving Seto a wanton kiss.

"Took you long enough," the brunet growled softly as his hands roved over the bare form of his lover, and in one quick movement, he had the blond on his back, his own slight weight pinning him beneath him. Grinning, he leaned down to nuzzle at Jounouchi's throat as he slowly ground his hips against the other, bringing them both to full hardness at the sensual contact. He kissed along the blond's collarbone, taking the time to nip and suckle at his Adam's apple, and when the smaller teen arched up with a gasp, Seto capitalized on the movement. Slipping a hand between their bodies, he wrapped his hand around both of their cocks and began to stroke them together, a low purr escaping him when he felt the slick precome at the tips. Smearing it around with his thumb to lessen the friction between them, he added a slight twist of his wrist on every upstroke, drawing a moan from both of them.

The brunet continued with his delicious torment for a few moments more, and when Jounouchi was writhing wantonly beneath him and practically begging for more, he shifted a little to the other's side, nudging the tanned thighs apart with his knee as he allowed his fingers to drift lower, caressing over his balls and then almost teasingly circling around his opening. This wasn't the first time the two of them had been intimate. Seto had quickly learned that the blond responded well to sex as a reward, and as such, he was adept at reading what his partner wanted. When he felt the other shift a little, he smirked and slowly pressed his finger inside. He was still amazed by the tight heat he always felt, and as he kissed his lover deeply, he hooked his finger a little to brush over the sensitive bundle of nerves inside him.

Jounouchi cried out in pure pleasure at the touch to his prostate. Clenching his muscles around the invading digit, he mewled needily for more, pinking slightly as another trickle of precome leaked down his shaft. Seto was the best lover he'd ever had, the blue-eyed teen knowing just how to bring him to the brink with exacting efficiency. He had a feeling that the other got off on hearing him shamelessly beg to be fucked, though that thought excited him. After all, he was the one who got to see the usually well controlled brunet come unhinged, and every time he watched Seto come, he'd get hard all over again as he saw the unguarded pleasure flood the gorgeous sapphire. And, admittedly, it was a bit of a boost to his ego to know that he was the one who had caused that. Another libidinous moan escaped him when the taller male caught one of his nipples between his teeth, sending a jolt of pleasure cascading through his frame, and when he pressed up for more, he felt a second finger penetrate him. Inhaling sharply through clenched teeth, he let his eyes fall closed as his body responded, and he knew he was dizzyingly close to his peak. "God, _please_!" Smouldering amber met his lover's gaze, and panting softly, he bore down on the invading digits, grasping the base of his cock to stave off his impending release.

Seto responded by ruthlessly massaging over his prostate as he leaned up to ravage his mouth in a hot, hungry kiss. After pulling his hand free, he lightly stroked his own length and then rolled over onto his back, tugging the other on top of him. "Ride me," he growled as lust-filled eyes looked up at him. "I want to watch you."

"Oh fuck," Jounouchi breathed, his shaft twitching a little at the pure want in the brunet's voice, and reaching behind him, he lightly grasped his lover's cock, easing himself down with a long, low groan as he was filled. Slowly, almost teasingly, he slid up, almost to the tip, and then lowered himself again, delighting in the way Seto's breath would catch each time. He could once again feel the slow burn of his release building in his belly, and before long, his hips were a blur as he ground himself down hard on the brunet's groin, trying to force his lover in deeper. 

Seto complied with Jounouchi's wishes, bringing his hands to the shorter teen's waist, helping to lift him up and drive him down on his shaft, arching his own hips up a little with each thrust. His breathing was coming in ragged pants through slightly parted lips, his cheeks slightly flushed as he neared his peak. He was so close, and he clenched his jaw tightly, trying to hold off until his lover came, too.

Jounouchi's hands slid up the compact torso to the taller male's nipples. As he rolled and twisted them between his fingertips, he couldn't stop the symphony of moans, whimpers and mewls that escaped him – and when Seto gave the most erotic sounding keen, it was his undoing. Tossing his head back and letting out a loud gasp of, "Oh my fucking God," he climaxed, his entire body tensing as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over him, hot, creamy spurts of his seed pulsing out over the brunet's chest and belly.

Feeling the exquisite tightness of his lover's spasming passage, Seto thrust up hard one last time, his fingers holding firm to Jounouchi's hips as his body jerked in time with his release, a libidinous growl spilling from his lips as his orgasm crashed over him. A moment later, he blinked open contented sapphire eyes, and rolling them over once more, he crushed the blond against him as he plied lips, cheeks, jaw and throat with soft, adoring kisses and teasing nips. "Mm," he murmured as he languorously savoured the taste of his lover's skin. "God, you taste good."

Jounouchi gave him a breathless smile in return, his fingers running lightly over Seto's back. Gently, he nuzzled the brunet's cheek with the tip of his nose, and then stretched up to steal a slow, deep kiss. "So do you. That was fucking amazing."

The taller teen chuckled a little. "Mm hmm. You were pretty good yourself."

"Pretty good?" The blond arched a brow at that, and with an impish smirk, he clenched his muscles around Seto's cock, grinning when he felt the other start to harden again. "I think I'm way more than just 'pretty good', you ass."

The brunet let out a soft groan, and rocking his hips slowly, he was pleased to note a similar response from Jounouchi. "Actually, I think you're just right." His own grin widening, he stilled his movements, and then dipped his head to lick at the tendon in his lover's neck, giving them both a few minutes to catch their breath before they started all over again.

As he cuddled with the blond, Seto came to realize that being with Jounouchi just felt right. Granted, they were physically attracted to each other, but there was something between them that was much deeper than that. He wouldn't say that he loved the blond, just as he knew that Jounouchi didn't feel that way about him – not yet anyway. But he did admit that there was a certain spark between them that in time could reach that level. In the interim, he was content to just spend as much time with the other as he could, learn about him, and grow together. He'd taken a chance, and it had turned out to be a positive experience for him. He had no idea what the future would bring, but for now, he was content. And for now, that was all that mattered.

He could live with that.


End file.
